Signs That Your Guttering May Be Damaged And Need Replacing
Guttering and downpipes may not be the most exciting parts of your home, so you could be forgiven for not paying them too much attention. However, the deceptively simple guttering edging your roof is a major weapon against water damage.
Without guttering, the water gushing off your roof during a storm would pour down the external walls, pooling around the foundations and possibly causing damage. The good news is, if your guttering is damaged or not functioning as it should, some symptoms can be easily detected by the naked eye. All you need to do is walk around your house and look for the following signs.
Stained External Walls
The first thing to look out for is discoloration on the external walls of your home. Rainwater is meant to flow along the guttering and safely away through the downpipes. If the guttering is rusted or blocked, the water can fall through or overrun the edge of the gutters, flowing down the external walls. If this happens on a regular basis, the walls can become discolored.
You may not think this is a problem as it is only water after all. However, dampness can result in the proliferation of fungi which can lead to rot and decay in the foundations, around window frames and so on.
Stained Ceilings And Eaves
Sometimes water can overflow the inner edge of the gutter, rather than flooding the outer edge. This is equally damaging as water then flows into the eaves' lining toward the ceiling space. Staining on your ceilings with be the tell-tale sign of this problem. Though roof leaks in other areas can also cause damp ceilings.
It could be that the guttering is installed in a particular way to encourage water to flow towards the eaves rather than over the outer edge. If the outside edge of the gutter is higher than the inside edge, this will force overflow water towards the house. Of course, the optimum is for water to flow through the guttering and downpipe and not to overflow the edges at all.
If water does enter the eaves, this will cause paint bubbling and staining on the underside of the eaves outside the house. A quick visual tour of the bottom of the eaves should be informative.
Rusty, Sagging Gutters
Another sign to look out for is damage to the gutters. Look up at the underside of the gutters; are they rusty or sagging? Has the guttering moved away from its secure attachment to the house? These visual symptoms can be caused by the build-up of heavy damp leaves and debris straining the integrity of the guttering.
Sound guttering is your best defense against what nature throws at your home in the form of storms, deluges or just persistent trickle. Rainwater is not as innocent as it seems when it comes to the integrity of your home. The good news is that a quick visual tour looking for specific symptoms can alert you to some potential problems. A gutter replacement or repair should prevent further damage.
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